Container label operating device

ABSTRACT

In a container labeling machine, flat tubular labels are supplied from a magazine, each label having open ends and outer and inner walls joined together at the sides. A carriage located adjacent the magazine supports fixed fingers and juxtaposed movable fingers at the outside of the outer wall of an open end portion of a label. A transfer head is engageable with the outer wall of the label for moving it outwardly past the fixed and movable fingers so that both these fingers are disposed between the outer and inner walls of the label. The movable fingers are then moved outwardly from the fixed fingers to open the label into a container-fitting form, and the carriage with the opened label on the fingers is then moved to place the label around a container.

Elnited States Patent 1 Horvath A n11 3,839,125 1 Oct. 1,1974

[ CONTAINER LABEL OPERATING DEVICE [76] Inventor: Steve J. Horvath,12600 S. Harvard Ave, Chicago, 111. 60628 22 Filed: Apr. 7, 1972 21Appl. No.: 242,102

Kerrigan 53/198 B 3,404,505 10/1968 3,523,052 8/1970 3,551,258 12/1970Galvanoni et a1 156/494 X Primary Examiner-Charles E. Van Horn AssistantExaminerBasil J. Lewris Attorney, Agent, or FirmCarson, Taylor 8L Hinds[57] ABSTRACT In a container labeling machine, flat tubular labels aresupplied from a magazine, each label having open ends and outer andinner walls joined together at the sides. A carriage located adjacentthe magazine supports fixed fingers and juxtaposed movable fingers atthe outside of the outer wall of an open end portion of a label. Atransfer head is engageable with the outer wall of the label for movingit outwardly past the fixed and movable fingers so that both thesefingers are disposed between the outer and inner walls of the label. Themovable fingers are then moved outwardly from the fixed fingers to openthe label into a containerfitting form, and the carriage with the openedlabel on the fingers is then moved to place the label around acontainer.

6 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures RAImI uucI H974 F/G.4. F/6.5. F/G.6.

CONTAINER LABEL OPERATING DEVICE This invention relates to new anduseful improvements in machines for placing labels around containers.Such machines usually have a magazine from which the labels are suppliedin a fiat tubular form, and the invention particularly concerns itselfwith a device for operating or manipulating the flat labels so that theyare opened up or expanded into a tubular form in readiness for placementaround containers passing through the machine, as on a conveyor.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a very simple buthighly efficient label operating device by which the labels may besequentially removed from the magazine, opened up into acontainer-fitting form and moved into position for placement aroundcontainers, these operations being effected with optimum speed andwithout any danger of multilating the labels. The device is capable ofpreparing labels for application to containers which are either in thevertical or horizontal position and which have either a cylindrical or apolygonal form.

With the foregoing more important object and features in view and suchother objects and features which may become apparent as thisspecification proceeds, the invention will be understood from thefollowing description taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings, wherein like characters of reference are used to designatelike parts, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of the label operating deviceof the invention, showing the components in the opened position of alabel;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 but showing the components in thelabel pick-up position;

FIG. 3 is a diagramatic illustration showing the fixed and movablefingers at the outside of the outer wall of the label;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional detail, taken substantially in theplane of the line 44 in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 and showing the outside wall of thelabel in readiness to snap over the fingers; and

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 and showing the fingers disposedbetween the outer and inner label walls.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, the numeral 10 inFIG. 1 generally designates the label operating device of the inventionwhich is intended to be embodied in a machine for applying labels tocontainers, either cylindrical or polygonal in form.

Such machines usually have a magazine M from which the labels aresequentially supplied. As shown in FIG. 3, each label L, while in themagazine, has a substantially fiat tubular form, with open endsindicated at 12 and outer and inner walls Lo and Li, respectively,joined together at the sides 13. The operating device 10 serves toremove a flat label from the magazine M, to open up the same into acontainer-fitting form, and to move the opened label into position forapplication to a container. Apparatus such as a conveyor for feedingcontainers to the machine, and other apparatus for transferring theopened label to the container, do not constitute components of thepresent invention and therefore are not disclosed herein.

The label operating device 10 comprises a carriage 14 which is disposedadjacent the outlet of the label magazine M, being slidable alongsuitable guides 15 fora purpose hereinafter to be described. Fixedfinger means 16 are mounted on the carriage l4 and in the illustratedinstance such finger means consist of two transversely spaced fingers.However, only one such finger could be provided, with a transverse spansufficient to suit the transverse dimension of the flat label L. Thecarriage 14 also supports a pair of movable fingers 17, provided on arms18 which are pivoted to the carriage at transversely spaced points, asat 19. The arms 18 are swingable from the position shown in FIG. 2wherein the fingers 17 are juxtaposed to the fixed fingers 16, to theposition shown in FIG. 1 wherein the fingers 17 are spaced outwardlyfrom the fixed fingers.

A label transfer head 20 is slidable toward and away from the outlet ofthe label magazine M, as along suitable guides 21. The head 20 may be avacuum head with its suction side facing the label magazine, so thatwhen the head is moved toward the magazine as in FIG. 2, the outer wallLo of the label L adheres to the head by suction and is capable of beingmoved away from the inner wall Li when the head is moved away from themagazine. Alternatively, instead of suction, the head 20 may have acoating of pressure-sensitive adhesive, or the like, for engaging andmoving the outer wall Lo of the label.

In any event, the movement of the head 20 toward and away from themagazine M is coordinated with movement of the arms 18 which carry thefingers 17,

so that when the head is moved toward the magazine, the fingers 17 arebrought into juxtaposition with the fixed fingers 16 (as in FIG. 2).Conversely, when the head is moved away from the magazine, the fingers17 are moved outwardly from the fixed fingers (as in FIG. 1). This isattained by providing the arms 18 with followers 22 which are engageablewith guide tracks 23 on the head. The tracks 23 have lateral extensions23a which engage the followers 22 when the arms 18 are in the positionof FIG. 1 and the head is being moved toward the magazine. As thismovement continues, the followers 22 follow the guide tracks 23transversely inwardly, thus causing the arms 18 to swing inwardly aboutthe pivots 19 until the fingers 17 are juxtaposed to the fixed fingers16 by the time the head 20 is disposed at the magazine M. By that timethe followers 22 will have passed out of the guide tracks 23 through aspace 23b provided centrally between the tracks. Conversely, when thehead 20 moves away from the magazine, the followers 22 re-enter thetracks 23 through the space 23b and, by following the trackstransversely outwardly, the followers cause the arms 18 to swingoutwardly about the pivots 19 until the fingers 17 are spaced outwardlyfrom the fixed fingers 16 when the head reaches its position away fromthe magazine M.

In operation, the transfer head 20 is moved toward the magazine M as inFIG. 2, which causes the fingers 17 to be moved into juxtaposition withthe fixed fingers 16. In that position the head 20 comes into engagementwith the outer wall Lo of the outermost label L in the magazine, and theouter wall of the label adheres to the head, either by suction, oradhesively, or in any other suitable manner. The head 20 is then movedoutwardly from the magazine and the outer wall Lo of the label comesinto engagement with the fixed fingers 16 as indicated in FIGS. 3 and 4.As the outward movement of the head continues, the open end portion ofthe outer wall Lo of the label becomes flexed as shown in FIG. 5, andwith the continuing outward movement of the head this flexed portion ofthe wall Lo eventually snaps over the fixed fingers 16 as well as overthe juxtaposed fingers 17 so that the fingers l6 and 17 are disposedbetween the outer wall Lo and the inner wall Li of the label, as shownin FIG. 6.

This action is possible inasmuch as only the outer wall Lo of the labeladheres to the head 20 and the inner wall Li remains unaffected by thesuction or adhesive action of the head. Thus, the inner wall of thelabel is not drawn along with the outer wall over the fingers 16, 17.However, if desired or necessary, suitable detents 24 may be provided atthe outlet of the magazine M to resist outward movement of the innerwall Li of the label during outward movement of the outer wall Lo.

With the movement of the outer wall Lo over the fingers 16, 17 and thedisposition of the fingers between the outer wall and the inner wall Li,the initially flat label L has become slightly expanded. As the head 20moves to its ultimate position away from the magazine, the inner wall Liof the label is held by the fixed fingers 16 and outward movement of themovable fingers 17 causes the label to be fully opened up to acontainerfitting form, which may be either cylindrical or polygonal, asaforesaid.

The carriage 14 is movable along the guides in a direction normal to themovement of the head 20, and when the head has been moved to itsultimate position away from the magazine M, the carriage 14 may be movedalong the guides 15, carrying the opened up label on the fingers l6, 17for application of the label to a container by any suitable means whichdo not form a part of the present invention. With that accomplished, thecarriage 14 is returned to its initial position adjacent the magazine Mand the cycle of operation is repeated for the next label.

The accompanying drawings show the label operat ing device for use inapplying labels to upstanding or vertically positioned containers.However, it will be readily apparent that the same device may be readilyoriented for applying labels to containers which are disposedhorizontally.

Thus, while in the foregoing there has been described and shown thepreferred embodiment of the invention, various modifications andequivalents may be resorted to, within the spirit and scope of theinvention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is:

l. A label operating device for a container labeling machine whereinfiat tubular labels are supplied from a magazine and each label has openends with outer and inner walls joined together at the sides, saidoperating device comprising:

a carriage in cooperation with said magazine comprising a base spaced asubstantially fixed lateral distance from and extending laterallyoutwardly from said magazine, fixed finger means rigidly mounted on saidbase substantially perpendicular thereto at a location spaced asubstantially fixed lateral distance from said magazine, said fixedfinger means thereby being adjacent the outside of the outer wall of anopen end portion of a label in said magazine, movable finger meansmounted on said base and movable into juxtaposition to said fixed fingermeans at the outside thereof, and actuating means cooperating with saidmovable finger means for moving said movable finger means;

a label transfer head movably mounted for movement towards said magazinefor engagement with the outer wall of the label and for movement awayfrom said magazine, said transfer head including a movable frame, firstmeans for engaging and moving said actuating means and thereby movingsaid movable finger means into juxtaposition with said fixed fingermeans during movement of said frame towards said magazine and the labeland for moving said actuating means and thereby moving said movablefinger means outwardly from said fixed finger means during movement ofsaid frame outwardly from said magazine, said first means mounted on andmovable with said frame, and second means mounted on said frame forengaging and moving the outer wall of the label past the juxtaposed saidfixed finger means and said movable finger means so that both saidfinger means are dis posed between the outer and inner walls of thelabel, whereby the label is opened to a containerfitting form upon theoutward movement of said movable finger means.

2. The device as defined in claim 1 which is further characterized inthat the outward movement of said transfer head causes the outer wall atthe open end of the label to flex and snap over said fixed and movablefinger means.

3. The device as defined in claim 1 together with detent means forresisting outward movement of the inner wall of the label while theouter wall is moved outwardly by said transfer head.

4. The label operating device as claimed in claim 1 wherein saidcarriage is movable in a direction normal to the direction of movementof said transfer head whereby an opened label on said finger means maybe palced around a container.

5. The label operating device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said fixedfinger means comprise two spaced apart, substantially vertical fingersand wherein said movable finger means comprises two spaced apart movablefinger means, each said movable finger means comprising an arm, meansfor pivotally mounting said arm at a first end thereof to said base anda substantially vertical finger rigidly mounted to said arm at the otherend thereof.

6. The label operating device as claimed in claim 5 wherein said base issubstantially horizontal, said transfer means is slidably mounted forhorizontal movement towards and away from said magazine, each saidmovable finger means is substantially horizontally pivotable and eachsaid arm of said movable finger means has an angular shape and iscomprised of first and second sections which join at a vertex, thevertex of one said arm positioned toward the vertex of the other saidarm when said movable fingers and said fixed fingers are 69 juxtaposed,wherein said actuating means includes a ment of said transfer head.

1. A label operating device for a container labeling machine whereinflat tubular labels are supplied from a magazine and each label has openends with outer and inner walls joined together at the sides, saidoperating device comprising: a carriage in cooperation with saidmagazine comprising a base spaced a substantially fixed lateral distancefrom and extending laterally outwardly from said magazine, fixed fingermeans rigidly mounted on said base substantially perpendicular theretoat a location spaced a substantially fixed lateral distance from saidmagazine, said fixed finger means thereby being adjacent the outside ofthe outer wall of an open end portion of a label in said magazine,movable finger means mounted on said base and movable into juxtapositionto said fixed finger means at the outside thereof, and actuating meanscooperating with said movable finger means for moving said movablefinger means; a label transfer head movably mounted for movement towardssaid magazine for engagement with the outer wall of the label and formovement away from said magazine, said transfer head including a movableframe, first means for engaging and moving said actuating means andthereby moving said movable finger means into juxtaposition with saidfixed finger means during movement of said frame towaRds said magazineand the label and for moving said actuating means and thereby movingsaid movable finger means outwardly from said fixed finger means duringmovement of said frame outwardly from said magazine, said first meansmounted on and movable with said frame, and second means mounted on saidframe for engaging and moving the outer wall of the label past thejuxtaposed said fixed finger means and said movable finger means so thatboth said finger means are disposed between the outer and inner walls ofthe label, whereby the label is opened to a container-fitting form uponthe outward movement of said movable finger means.
 2. The device asdefined in claim 1 which is further characterized in that the outwardmovement of said transfer head causes the outer wall at the open end ofthe label to flex and snap over said fixed and movable finger means. 3.The device as defined in claim 1 together with detent means forresisting outward movement of the inner wall of the label while theouter wall is moved outwardly by said transfer head.
 4. The labeloperating device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said carriage is movablein a direction normal to the direction of movement of said transfer headwhereby an opened label on said finger means may be palced around acontainer.
 5. The label operating device as claimed in claim 1 whereinsaid fixed finger means comprise two spaced apart, substantiallyvertical fingers and wherein said movable finger means comprises twospaced apart movable finger means, each said movable finger meanscomprising an arm, means for pivotally mounting said arm at a first endthereof to said base and a substantially vertical finger rigidly mountedto said arm at the other end thereof.
 6. The label operating device asclaimed in claim 5 wherein said base is substantially horizontal, saidtransfer means is slidably mounted for horizontal movement towards andaway from said magazine, each said movable finger means is substantiallyhorizontally pivotable and each said arm of said movable finger meanshas an angular shape and is comprised of first and second sections whichjoin at a vertex, the vertex of one said arm positioned toward thevertex of the other said arm when said movable fingers and said fixedfingers are juxtaposed, wherein said actuating means includes asubstantially vertical cam follower rigidly mounted on each said arm atthe vertex thereof, and wherein said first means of said transfer headcomprises a cam surface for engaging said cam follower during themovement of said transfer head.